Hey, Department of Homeland Security ... we need some more bang for our buck.

That was the underlying message behind H.R. 4289, otherwise known as the Department of Homeland Security Interoperable Communications Act, a creation of Rep. Donald Payne Jr., who represents about half of Montclair in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Approved unanimously on July 8, the act seeks to hold the DHS accountable for more than $13 billion worth of questionable spending on "interoperable communications" efforts since the 9/11 attacks.

According to a 2012 report by the Inspector General's Office, this questionable spending includes $430 million to establish communications capabilities for 123,000 radio users through the past 11 years. But despite this expenditure, the report states, department personnel "do not have reliable interoperable communications for daily operations, planned events and emergencies."

During a 2012 hearing, DHS Inspector General John Roth testified that 479 DHS field radio users were requested to get on and use a single channel to communicate, but only one of them was able to get on the common channel.

"I was shocked to learn how much money had been spent on interoperable communications since the September 11th terrorist attacks, and how little there is to show for it," stated Payne in a release.

"Clearly, we must do more to improve emergency communications. Police officers and firefighters across the 10th Congressional District never leave my office without stressing the importance of interoperable communications, and this bill will keep the DHS accountable toward that end."

HOW IT'S DONE IN MONTCLAIR

Speaking with the officials from Montclair's Police and Fire Departments and the Montclair Ambulance Unit, The Montclair Times learned how the three agencies communicate.

According to officials, each agency has access to a townwide radio channel that they can use in the event of an emergency. In addition, the agencies have the option of communicating through the Police Department's central dispatch station.

And in some cases, emergency responders simply use cell phones to exchange information, said Montclair Acting Fire Chief Thomas Diveny.

"It's a mixture of all those things in the field, but the best is when we can talk face to face," said Diveny. "We're still working trying to make that transition to where we can have the ability to speak with each other."

Diveny told The Times that the MFD hasn't had any significant problems communicating with its peer agencies, but that there have been problems linking with neighboring fire departments. For example, Montclair is unable to communicate with the West Orange Fire Department because they each use different radio systems.

James Simpson, chief of emergency medical services for the Montclair Ambulance Unit, told The Times that from a safety perspective, interoperable communication is essential to what the MAU does.

"If we don't have the capability for interoperability and there's a breakdown in communication it can cause problems."

CHANGING OVER

The Department of Homeland Security isn't the only public agency to plunk down money in the quest for interoperable communications. The Montclair Police Department is in the middle of a nearly $1 million upgrade to its own radio system.

According to Police Chief David Sabagh, the department expects to shift to new radios sometime around August. Sabagh told The Times that the radios are being field-tested, and that some of the consoles have already been installed at the department's 911 center.

Sabagh said a major benefit of the new system will be compatibility with the state Public Safety Interoperable Communications (PSIC) spectrum, which will give the municipality the ability to "communicate beyond its own borders."

The department will maintain its ability to communicate with the Montclair Fire Department or the Montclair Ambulance Unit, the chief noted, because the MPD dispatch center will still have the existing system installed, and will have the capability to use either.

"The ability to communicate to all those services is essential to what we do," said Sabagh. "We're confident that this new system, as well as our existing systems, will allow us to continue to do that within the municipality of Montclair and beyond our borders, which is an important step into truly joining the interoperable communications world, which I think is where everyone wants to get to."